The World's Top-Tier Fighters and... God's Knights!

"I didn't expect to be back here again."

Camie, who had been picked up by Merry, looked at the Connecting Corridor high up with a complicated expression.

She really didn't expect to have another chance.

"Twist~"

"I never thought I'd have the chance to come to such a prestigious place..." Hatchan looked nervously at the Connecting Corridor above, unsure of what to do with her hands.

"Relax a little."

Xi Yan laughed and said, "You are our friends, there's no need to be so nervous."

Seeing that their expressions hadn't softened, Xi Yan continued, "This matter was approved by Neptune."

"That's good..."

Upon learning that King Neptune had agreed to the matter, Hatchan breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why are you so nervous?" Perona glanced at Pappagu and said, "Look how calm he is."

"Hmph, I've seen it all, so I'm not nervous about this kind of thing," Pappagu said, raising his head.

If it were his first time coming, he would definitely be very nervous.

But... this is my second time visiting Ryugu Kingdom!

Most importantly, they came with the permission of His King Neptune!

So... he's no longer as nervous as he was the first time.

"By the time we finish the banquet, our ship should be properly coated," Chopper said.

"Yes, no problem," Franky nodded.

"By the way... Franky, why doesn't your brother like attending parties?" Luffy asked, turning to look at Franky with a puzzled expression.

When they went to the Sea Forest, they invited Dan to attend the banquet.

As a result... the other party refused outright.

Franky paused for a moment upon hearing this, recalling what Dan had said earlier.

Then, he said helplessly, "Perhaps he doesn't like lively scenes."

After saying that, Franky paused for a moment, then continued, "Since he doesn't like it, there's no need to force him."

"All right."

Luffy didn't dwell on the matter, nodded, and said no more.

Then, he looked up at the Connecting Corridor above and said, "Let's go, let's go to the Ryugu Kingdom!"

"Profound!"

Subsequently, with the help of Merry, the group, who were floating in mid-air, successfully entered the Ryugu Kingdom.

"You've finally arrived."

Upon receiving the notification, Neptune smiled and, holding Den Den Mushi, said to the Straw Hat Crew on the other end, "Please hop on the Long Flounder and come to the banquet hall. Let's have a good chat here."

Okay~

"Long Flounder..."

Looking at the enormous fish, several meters long, in front of her, Perona paused for a moment before asking, "Why is this fish lying down?"

"It looks like a shoe sole," Zoro remarked.

"That's what this kind of fish looks like," Nico Robin said with a smile.

This type of fish is very common in the ocean, just not as big as the ones here in the Ryugu Kingdom.

"Who cares, get on here!" Luffy, who had Luffy onto the Long Flounder, grinned and said, "The banquet is about to begin!"

"Here it comes~"

The group exchanged glances, then burst into laughter and climbed onto the back of the Long Flounder.

Soon, led by the two fish, the group arrived at the banquet hall that Neptune had mentioned.

"Look everyone, it's a hero!"

"Profound!!"

Looking at the Straw Hat Crew in the air, the Fish-Man Race soldiers below were all more excited than the last.

He's a hero!

He's a living hero!

"Thank you for protecting Fish-Man Island!"

"We will never forget your kindness!"

"Everyone's so enthusiastic!" Little Merry, floating in mid-air, laughed.

The cheers were deafening.

"After all, we saved Fish-Man Island," Xi Yan said with a smile.

If it weren't for the Straw Hat Pirates, Fish-Man Island would have been destroyed by Vander Decken or Hody's Crew by now, so... it's quite normal for the Fish-Man Race to have such feelings.

Hearing Xi Yan's words, the others also laughed.

Yes, they saved the people of Fish-Man Island, so it's only natural that they receive such treatment.

"It's so noisy!"

Hearing the crowd chanting "hero" repeatedly below, Luffy retorted, "Don't call me a hero, I want to eat meat!"

"That's right!"

Zoro, who was lying on the back of the Long Flounder, also realized what was happening and immediately jumped up, saying, "I want to drink too!"

They didn't come here to listen to these guys shout slogans; they came to drink and eat!

"You guys..."

Seeing Zoro and Luffy looking around with displeasure, Nami was at a loss for words.

"Wait a minute," Jinbe Boss said. "We'll be able to drink and eat meat soon."

Hearing Jinbe's words, Xi Yan turned to look at him curiously and said, "Speaking of which... Jinbe, you said you were once in the Neptune Army, right?"

"Yes."

"Then shouldn't you have attended the banquets here as well?"

"Of course," Jinbe nodded and said, "I haven't participated many times, but I have."

"That..."

"Don't ask me about that." Jinbe smiled gently and said, "It's better not to know the program when attending a banquet, otherwise it will make the experience much less enjoyable."

If he spoiled the plot beforehand, the Straw Hat Crew would lose a lot of interest, making the banquet less enjoyable. So he wouldn't say anything.

Besides... the program might not be the same as before.

"That's true."

Xi Yan smiled and didn't ask the question again.

Just then, Shirahoshi swam over from a distance, smiling as she said to the Straw Hat Crew, "Everyone, the stage is just ahead."

Please enjoy the rest of the program!

After saying that, Shirahoshi smiled and swam to the side, making room for him.

"Stage?"

Several question marks appeared above Luffy's head. What were those things?

Xi Yan, however, showed an expression of great interest and said, "I didn't expect there would be a show to watch."

I wonder what the shows on Fish-Man Island are like.

"Yohohohoho~"

"I'm starting to look forward to it too~" Brook said with a smile.

"Will there be a beautiful Miss Mermaid dancing?" Sanji exclaimed excitedly.

As if he had just thought of something, Sanji immediately started to excitedly twist his body, and his eyes turned into hearts.

"It will happen," Jinbe said with a smile. "Everything you're hoping for will come to you."

Upon hearing this, Brook and Sanji became even more excited.

"Ladies and gentlemen, good afternoon!" A mermaid emcee appeared on the stage and said with a smile, "I am Kady, the emcee of this banquet!"

"To express his gratitude to the Straw Hat Crew for their help to Fish-Man Island, King Neptune hosted a banquet."

"Now, the banquet officially begins!"

"First up is Maria, the underwater singer whom Fish-Man Island is so proud of!"

"Profound!!"

The Fish-Man Race soldiers below cheered enthusiastically, their expressions increasingly excited.

After all... it's very difficult for them to see this person normally!

Watching the singer begin to sing, Nicole Robin remarked, "No wonder he's called the number one singer in the ocean."

That singing ability is truly amazing.

"Yohohohoho~"

"That's really amazing!" Brook said with a smile. "And the band's music is fantastic too!"

Listening to the beautiful music and singing, the people on the Long Flounder began to sway their bodies, and the atmosphere immediately became lively!

Seeing that the time was right, the host announced again, "Next, please welcome our special guest to perform a dance for everyone!"

"Offer a dance?"

Sanji seemed to have suddenly realized something and froze on the spot.

Then, looking excitedly at the figures appearing under the lights, he said, "Could it be...?"

"That's right, they are... the Mermaid Maid dancers at the Mermaid Cafe!"

"Profound!!!"

"I absolutely love this banquet!"

Seeing the incredibly beautiful Miss Mermaid, Sanji excitedly grabbed the bubbles, wishing he could rush out and dance with them.

"Hey, Sanji, you'll die!" Chopper grabbed the agitated Sanji and said, "You'll die!"

"It's alright... just let me die in this blissful paradise~"

Perona:...

Seeing Sanji's eyes gleaming and him completely out of Sanji, Perona was utterly speechless.

This guy is still the same old him.

Oh well, this guy has already been cured, so there's no need to worry about him dying from a nosebleed.

With that in mind, Perona abandoned her idea of using the Negative Ghost to calm Sanji down.

Then, Perona glanced at the composed Zoro, her eyes unconsciously curving into crescents.

"It really is a dreamlike scene," Xi Yan remarked.

At this moment, Xi Yan felt as if he were in Fairy Tale.

Of course, it's not a dark fairy tale.

"Is it finally time for the sake?!" Zoro exclaimed excitedly as he watched the mermaids swim over with their sake. "I've been looking forward to this for so long!"

Please enjoy your meal.

The mermaid handed the wine jug to Zoro, smiling as she said, "This time, there's plenty of Water Pipe."

"That's wonderful!"

He absolutely loves drinking!

Zoro then opened the flask, took a sip, and exclaimed with delight, "This tastes much better than what I drank before!"

"This is a wine treasured by His Majesty the King," the mermaid said with a smile.

"No wonder it tastes so good."

Zoro nodded, then turned to Xi Yan, grinned, and said, "Xi Yan, I remember you said you could really drink, wanna have a contest?"

"Oh?"

"So you've actually challenged me?" Xi Yan pushed up his Sunglasses, a smirk playing on his lips. "Then... I'll accept your challenge~"

"Zoro!"

After casually tossing another large wine jug to Xi Yan, Zoro laughed and said, "Let's go!"

"Who's afraid of who?"

The two people, who were staring at each other, suddenly burst into laughter.

Just then, the music in the banquet hall suddenly stopped, and the host reappeared on stage.

"Next, please let His Majesty the King lead everyone in raising a toast!"

Neptune coughed lightly upon hearing this, then took the glass from Shirahoshi and said, "Before we toast, I must first say thank you."

Neptune, having taken in the entire appearance of the Straw Hat Pirates, smirked and said, "Thanks to the Straw Hat Crew, Fish-Man Island is..."

Before Neptune could finish speaking, Luffy, who couldn't wait any longer, jumped up and shouted, "Let the banquet begin!"

"Profound!"

"Cheers!"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter and then picked up their drinks to drink.

"Xi Yan, I won't lose to you," Zoro said.

"I should be the one saying that," Xi Yan said with a smile.

"That's right!"

Zoro seemed to remember something, and leaned closer to Xi Yan, saying, "You're not allowed to cheat with Ninjutsu!"

"How could that be?"

Xi Yan turned his head away and said, "I'm not that kind of person."

"Then look at me while you talk, you bastard!"

Hahahaha~

Franky, who was standing nearby, burst into laughter upon hearing this, then leaned in and said, "Count me in!"

"Come on, cheers!"

"Profound!"

Neptune, having observed everyone's reactions, rubbed his fingers together with a somewhat aggrieved expression and said, "Anyway, I'm not important... anyway, I'm not important..."

"Neptune, don't be so down," Luffy said, Luffy closer to Neptune. "Cheers!"

Neptune paused for a moment upon hearing this, then smiled and said, "That's true..."

Since the Straw Hat don't care about this kind of thing, there's no need for me to be so dramatic.

With that thought in mind, Neptune raised his glass and said, "Then let's forget about everything else and cheers!"

"Profound!!"

"Cheers!!"

Hahaha~

Ah~

Lying lazily on the balcony outside the Ryugu Kingdom, Usopp said, "This banquet was really enjoyable!"

"Me too."

Merry, whose belly was also quite full, raised her little hand and said, "I had so much fun eating!"

She really enjoyed the banquet.

I just don't know when I'll be able to come to Fish-Man Island again.

"Are you two okay?"

Nami glanced at the two guys with their bulging bellies and asked, "Are your stomachs upset?"

These two guys aren't Devil Fruit User like Luffy.

"No, not at all," Merry said, shaking her head.

She just feels a little full, but doesn't feel uncomfortable.

Don't worry.

After checking on the two men, Xi Yan said, "Both of them have strong digestive abilities, so there shouldn't be any problems."

"That's fine."

Nami nodded, then turned to look at the distant sea, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Perona asked, leaning closer to Nami. "You seem troubled."

The look in her eyes now was exactly the same as when she missed Lord Moria.

So... she felt that the other person might be missing their family.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things." Nami shook her head, then smiled and said, "But you, why aren't you eating anymore?"

Seeing that Nami didn't intend to tell, Perona didn't press the matter.

Then, she said somewhat helplessly, "I don't have that much of an appetite."

She can only eat a little more than a normal person; she's nowhere near as gluttonous as Luffy and his Luffy.

So after eating a little, she couldn't eat anymore.

"That's true."

Nami smiled and said, "We're just normal people; we can't compare to them."

Usopp was somewhat exasperated upon hearing this. He had only eaten a little more than usual; how was that considered abnormal?

"What? You're all here?"

"Luffy?"

Seeing Luffy carrying a basket of food and arriving with Jinbe, Xi Yan said, "We're here to digest and sober up."

"On the contrary, why didn't you continue eating over there?"

"Jinbe said he has something he wants to tell me," Luffy said. "It's about the New World."

Upon hearing this, Xi Yan immediately became interested.

After getting up from the ground, Xi Yan asked, "What is it?"

Jinbe didn't answer immediately, but instead followed Luffy to sit down next to the others.

Then Jinbe said, "It's about the Navy."

"You're not thinking about Aokiji and Akainu, are you?" Xi Yan said.

Jinbe paused for a moment upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "So you all know?"

That makes sense. Given Xi Yan's intelligence-gathering abilities, it's not surprising that he would know about this.

"Yes, I know."

Xi Yan nodded and said, "We know about things like Aokiji having his leg broken by Akainu."

"Oh, right, there's also the matter of Smoker becoming Admiral Candidate."

"He's really reliable," Jinbe remarked.

"I just happened to know a few things," Xi Yan smiled, then said, "I just wonder what that guy is doing now."

"I don't know about that," Jinbe shook his head and said, "Aokiji disappeared without a trace after leaving the Marines. Nobody knows where he went."

"The World Government is actually willing to give up such a powerful force," Perona said. "I feel something's not quite right."

"It does seem a bit abnormal, but he has indeed left the Navy," Jinbe said.

"Perhaps Admiral isn't much to the World Government," Xi Yan said.

Upon hearing this, everyone immediately looked at Xi Yan with puzzled expressions and asked, "Why do you say that?"

That's Admiral!

The highest-ranking officer in the Navy Headquarters... no, it should be said that he is Marine Admiral, one of the world's top combat forces!

Would the World Government not care about such an existence?

"You all remember when I attacked Mary Geoise, right?" Xi Yan said.

"Of course I remember!"

Jinbe looked at Xi Yan with shining eyes and said, "I only regret that we couldn't be together back then!"

To storm Mary Geoise all by himself... what an astonishing feat!

Thinking of this, Jinbe's body trembled slightly with excitement.

If only he could have gone to that battle with me!

"It's a good thing you didn't go with them," Xi Yan said, shaking his head.

Jinbe paused for a moment upon hearing this, then frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

Could it be that Xi Yan thinks he's too weak to participate in that kind of battle?

"Don't misunderstand, I don't mean you're weak," Xi Yan said. "On the contrary, your combat strength is extremely high on the sea!"

"So what do you mean?"

"The main reason is that the World Government's composition is too complex," Xi Yan said.

"Complex?"

"Um."

After recalling what he had seen in Mary Geoise two years ago, Xi Yan said, "I won't go into other details, but let me talk about the rather mysterious God's Knights within the World Government."

"The God's Knights..."

Upon hearing Xi Yan's explanation, Jinbe's eyes immediately showed confusion. What was this thing?

Why hadn't he even heard of it?

"What's that?" Usopp asked curiously.

"From what I understand, the God's Knights are a mysterious organization that protects the Celestial Dragons," Xi Yan said. "They are composed of powerful individuals among the Celestial Dragons, each possessing abilities at a bug-like level."

"A bug-level ability?"

Seeing that Chopper didn't understand, Xi Yan explained, "You remember the bear we saw back then, right?"

"Of course I remember!" Chopper exclaimed excitedly, "He's my benefactor!"

If it weren't for Kuma, the Straw Hat Pirates would have been killed by the two Admiral.

So... he was very grateful to the bear!

"Yes, he is our benefactor..." Xi Yan said with emotion, then added, "But that's not what I want to talk about."

"What I'm referring to is his Devil Fruit ability."

"Devil Fruit..."

Chopper looked down for a moment, then looked up and said, "Is it that ability that can repel everything?"

"Yes."

Xi Yan raised a finger and said, "Abilities involving rules are basically bug-level."

"And when such Devil Fruit abilities fall into the hands of a strong person, the effects they can unleash are even more terrifying!"

"Take that guy named Saint Gilm for example," Xi Yan said. "He's a Mythical Zoan Beast."

"Besides possessing powerful regenerative abilities and strength, it can also materialize the creatures from other people's nightmares!"

"The creatures from your nightmares materialized?" Nami looked at Xi Yan in disbelief and said, "Can you even do something like that?"

Isn't this a bit too scary?

That's a nightmare!

"Yes, that's absolutely outrageous."

"Nightmare..."

Perona touched her lips and said, "Isn't it cute?"

Xi Yan:...

After glancing at Perona, whose eyes held a hint of anticipation, Xi Yan was immediately rendered speechless.

Isn't this woman's focus a bit strange?

After mentally complaining, Xi Yan said, "What he manifested is nothing like what you imagined. That thing is all the same color, pitch black, with absolutely no distinguishing features."

"Then forget it."

Perona gave a disgusted look; it's just too dark to be interesting.

"And then?" Usopp asked curiously.

And then...

Xi Yan stroked his chin and said, "And then, the things he summons can be resurrected after being killed, which is quite troublesome."

If he hadn't used the Kyojitsu Kuu Kyuu, a divine weapon capable of dealing true damage, he might not have been able to defeat those enemies.

"He can actually be resurrected?" Jinbe exclaimed in surprise.

Wouldn't that make him have the same abilities as Xi Yan?

"Yes, it is possible to revive." Xi Yan nodded and said, "However, if we can deal true damage or attack the ability user himself, this problem can be solved."

"I see."

Although Jinbe didn't know what true damage was, he did understand what it meant to find the Devil Fruit user.

"This is just one of the ability users," Xi Yan said. "The other ability users also have pretty outrageous abilities."

"For example, that girl named Gunko can summon strange arrows that can not only track attacks but also deflect other people's attacks. It's incredibly overpowered."

If the attack range is small enough or if the Gunko detects it, the attack will be ineffective!

After speaking, Xi Yan told everyone about the Thorn Man, whose abilities were equally outrageous and also related to love.

"The Thorn Fruit..." Usopp said, stroking his chin. "I feel like I've heard of it before."

"I met her in Alabasta two years ago," Nami said. "I'm the one who defeated her."

"However... that woman's abilities are far inferior to what Xi Yan described."

The woman named Ms. Doublefinger only had the ability to grow thorns on her body, but the person Xi Yan mentioned could unleash a vast thorn forest!

These are completely different concepts!

"Alabasta, huh?"

Usopp gave a look of Satori realization; no wonder the name sounded familiar.

"From your description, these ability users do seem a bit troublesome," Jinbe said. "But when I think about how they are the guardians of the Celestial Dragons, it makes sense."

After all... they are the World Noble!

It's perfectly normal for the Celestial Dragons, who possess the entire world, to collect Devil Fruit abilities that are practically bug-level.

"They're not just troublesome in terms of ability," Xi Yan said. "Most importantly, they are immortal!"

"An immortal body?!"

Jinbe stared at Xi Yan in shock and said, "An immortal body like yours?"

"Really?"

World Government like this actually exists?

This is absolutely astonishing.

"Really." Xi Yan nodded and said, "Although their immortality is not the same as mine, they are indeed an unkillable type."

"It can be said that unless you use an attack imbued with powerful Conqueror's Haki, you cannot suppress their Regeneration Ability."

"Conqueror's Haki?"

Upon hearing Zoro's voice, Xi Yan turned to look at him and said, "Ah, you're awake."

"Hmm, I'm a light sleeper."

Zoro nodded first, then asked in confusion, "What are you talking about Conqueror's Haki?"

"Conqueror's Haki can be used to bind and envelop," Xi Yan explained. "As long as you can bind this power to your attacks, you can increase the attack power of your moves."

"I see..."

After Zoro finished speaking, he fell into deep thought, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

"So, only those with Conqueror's Haki can defeat those immortal members of the God's Knights..." Sanji said with a serious expression as he lit a cigarette. "That's indeed a bit tricky."

Therefore, it seems that only Luffy and Xi Yan on their side possess the means to fight this kind of enemy.

As for the others...

Without Conqueror's Haki, they simply couldn't defeat such an enemy.

"It is indeed a bit tricky," Xi Yan nodded and said, "But don't worry, I have ways to deal with that kind of guy."

"That's good."

Sanji nodded, visibly relieved.

Jinbe understood why Xi Yan had said those things; facing an invincible enemy... he really wasn't suited to go along.

After all, he doesn't possess Conqueror's Haki!

"Is this why you said the World Government might not care about Marine Admiral?" Nami said.

"Yes," Xi Yan nodded and said, "Relying on their immortality, their combat power is still quite strong."

"And most importantly... the God's Knights contain individuals who are no weaker than Marine Admiral!"

As he spoke, Xi Yan thought of the man who looked exactly like the red-haired man.

Saint Shamrock, the Vice-Captain of the God's Knights!

"Not weaker than Marine Admiral...?" Jinbe frowned.

"Yes."

"Is he the captain of the God's Knights?"

"No, that's not it." Xi Yan shook his head and said, "He's just the Vice-Captain of the God's Knights. I don't know what the commander looks like or what his strength is."

"I understand," Jinbe nodded and said.

Even the so-called Vice-Captain possesses Admiral- level combat strength... not to mention the commander's strength.

And most importantly... there may be several people holding the position of Vice-Captain!

Thinking of this, Jinbe's expression turned serious.

"No wonder you made it sound so serious," Usopp swallowed hard. "So the World Government was hiding such a terrifying power."

He had previously thought the Celestial Dragons were just a bunch of useless World Noble protected by the Navy, but it turns out they have such formidable fighting power!

"Could there be even more powerful ones?" Nami asked. "Like, maybe some other groups or something."

"Then I don't know," Xi Yan said, shaking his head.

His trip to Mary Geoise only revealed the existence of the God's Knights; as for whether there were others... he had no idea.

However, he felt that there should be an even more powerful being among the Celestial Dragons, otherwise they definitely wouldn't be able to keep things under control!

After all... this is a world where might makes right!

Nami paused for a moment after hearing this, then said, "Then it seems we need to get stronger quickly..."

Otherwise, there's absolutely no chance of survival against someone like that.

After all... she's not immortal!

Zoro and Sanji's expressions also turned serious; things were indeed more complicated than they had imagined.

Xi Yan smiled, having observed his companions' reactions. "It's good this way. Pressure is what motivates us."

"Luffy..."

Seeing Chopper's frightened expression, Luffy grinned and said, "What are you afraid of?"

"If they dare to cause us trouble, I'll beat them all to a pulp!"

After saying that, Luffy paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides... we're not weak either~"

Two years ago, Xi Yan was able to fight those guys without being defeated, so now... they have even less reason to be afraid of that so-called group!

Seeing Luffy's fearlessness, Chopper was stunned for a moment, then felt no longer afraid.

Yes, the Straw Hat Pirates are quite strong, so they aren't really afraid of the so-called God's Knights.

If a fight really breaks out... it's hard to say who will win or lose!

Seeing Luffy and his crew's confidence, Jinbe felt relieved.

He then said, "You all know about what's happening with the Navy, but are you aware of the changes in the New World?"

"Just ask Xi Yan," Luffy said, pointing at Xi Yan.

After saying that, Luffy turned back to eating, clearly not paying much attention to the intelligence.

Jinbe:???

"Why do you ask Xi Yan about everything?" Jinbe stared at Luffy dumbfounded. "You're the captain, aren't you?!"

"At least we should know what happened!"

What if something happens while Xi Yan isn't around?!

Luffy blinked upon hearing this, and said somewhat blankly, "But wouldn't it be the same if Xi Yan knew?"

Jinbe:...

Why do I suddenly feel like punching this guy?

"It's Jinbe, it's the same whether I know or not," Xi Yan said.

Upon hearing this, Jinbe sighed and then said, "I wonder how this guy became captain."

"Huh?"

"Isn't the captain just one of those guys who don't follow orders?" Chopper said, blinking.

After all... their captain wasn't exactly an obedient fellow!

Jinbe:???

Upon hearing Chopper's words, Jinbe paused for a moment, then fell silent.

After a moment of silence, Jinbe said with a complicated expression, "You guys... you've really worked so hard."

"Yeah yeah."

Nami and the others nodded in unison, completely agreeing with Jinbe's words.

Having Luffy as a captain... can be really tough sometimes.

But... who can blame him when he's Luffy?

Thinking of this, everyone looked at each other and laughed.